Automated apparatus for constructing assemblies of building components

ABSTRACT

A system for constructing wall panels comprising a plurality of structural members includes: a source of structural members of predetermined size; a horizontal table configured to support planks as they are being formed into a wall panel, the table including a stationary section and a movable carriage that is configured to move in a longitudinal direction toward and away from the stationary section; an articulated arm unit having a gripper, the articulating arm unit positioned to retrieve boards from the source with the gripper and place them on the table; at least one first clamping unit mounted to the stationary section for clamping structural members thereto; at least one second clamping unit mounted to the movable carriage for clamping structural members thereto; and a controller that controls the movement of the articulating arm unit and the movable carriage.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/387,192, filed Sep. 28, 2010, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to construction of buildings, and moreparticularly relates to devices for the construction of wall panels andsubassemblies thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wall panels for the wall of a dwelling typically comprise a series oflumber boards arranged in a predetermined pattern and nailed together.Wall panel design varies from house to house because of consumer demandfor individualized home design, although in some instances multiple wallpanels for the same house will have the same arrangement. Most wallpanels will include top and bottom horizontal boards and a number (oftendetermined by a building code) of vertical boards to provide support.Often two or more vertical boards will be arranged in abutted fashionwith the long axis of at least of one rotated 90° to form strengthenedposts for corners and wall intersections. The horizontal and verticalboards are nailed together to form a panel. The panel is then installedin the dwelling at a desired time. Depending on the nature of theproject, the panels may be fabricated on-site or remotely for subsequenttransport and use.

Some wall panels include so-called “rough openings”, which are openingswithin the frame of the panel for windows, doors and the like (see,e.g., FIGS. 1 and 2, which show a wall panel 15 that includes an opening16 for a door, and a wall panel 20 that includes a rough opening 21 fora window). The numbers and sizes of boards around rough openings areoften regulated by building codes. Also, the locations and sizes ofrough openings can vary significantly based on the personal preferencesof the homeowner or builder. As a result, automation of the wall panelfabrication process has been limited.

It may be desirable to provide an automated process by which wallpanels, and in particular wall panels with rough openings, can beconstructed in a more extemporaneous fashion with reduced setup andchange-over time from panel-to-panel. Also, it may be desirable toprovide a system that can construct wall panels of different heights andextended lengths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa system for constructing wall panels comprising a plurality ofstructural members. The system comprises: a source of structural membersof predetermined size; a horizontal table configured to support planksas they are being formed into a wall panel, the table including astationary section and a movable carriage that is configured to move ina longitudinal direction toward and away from the stationary section; anarticulated arm unit having a gripper, the articulating arm unitpositioned to retrieve structural members from the source with thegripper and place them on the table; at least one first clamping unitmounted to the stationary section for clamping structural membersthereto; at least one second clamping unit mounted to the movablecarriage for clamping structural members thereto; and a controller thatcontrols the movement of the articulating arm unit and the movablecarriage. The presence of the movable carriage can enable the system toproduce wall panels of almost any length.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa method of constructing a wall panel comprising a plurality ofstructural members. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing ahorizontal table configured to support planks as they are being formedinto a wall panel, the table including a stationary section and amovable carriage that is configured to move in a longitudinal directionrelative to the stationary section; wherein at least one first clampingunit is mounted to the stationary section for clamping structuralmembers thereto; and at least one second clamping unit mounted to themovable carriage for clamping structural members thereto; (b) forming asubassembly of structural members, wherein at least one structuralmember is clamped with the first clamping units; (c) clamping thestructural member with the second clamping unit; (d) releasing the firstclamping units; and (e) moving the movable carriage relative to thestationary table section to move the subassembly relative to thestationary table section. This method can enable the construction ofwall panels of almost any length.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa method of placing a structural member during the construction of awall panel comprising a plurality of structural members. The methodcomprises the steps of: providing parallel first and second structuralmembers extending in a longitudinal direction; placing, with anautomated system, a third structural member between the first and secondstructural members, the third structural member being oriented at anoblique angle relative to the first and second structural members; androtating, with the automated system, the third structural member to aposition that is substantially perpendicular to the first and secondstructural members. This technique can enable or facilitate theautomated placement of structural members in tight places that can becreated due to the inconsistency of structural member dimensions andquality.

As a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa method of constructing a wall panel comprising a plurality ofstructural members, the method comprising the steps of: with anautomated system, positioning a first structural member on a buildsurface; with the automated system, positioning a second structuralmember on the build surface, the second structural member being incontact with the first structural member but not secured to the firststructural member; and with the automated system, positioning a thirdstructural member on the build surface, the third structural memberbeing in contact with the second structural member, thereby using thesecond structural member as a positioning fixture. This technique canallow some structural members to be “self-fixturing” for otherstructural members, thereby simplifying the build process.

As a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa method of determining the construction sequence of a wall panelcomprising a plurality of structural members, comprising the steps of:(a) programmatically determining the dimensions of each structuralmember based on a data file; (b) programmatically determining structuralmember parameters; and (c) programmatically creating a nominal buildsequence from the structural member parameters.

As a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa method of programmatically and via automation constructing a wallpanel comprising a plurality of structural members, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) selecting a structural member for inclusionin the wall panel; (b) determining nailing requirements based on thestructural member's use and location; (c) retrieving the structuralmember from a structural member source; (d) determining whether to movean already assembled subassembly relative to a build table based on thestructural member's size, orientation, and/or potential interferencewith another structural member or fixture; (e) moving the alreadyassembled subassembly relative to the table if step (d) so determines;(f) positioning the structural member on the build table; (g)determining whether to attach the structural member to anotherstructural member based on its position and/or use; (h) attaching thestructural members if step (g) so determines; and (i) repeating steps(a)-(h) for additional structural members.

As a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directedto a method of constructing a wall panel comprising a plurality ofstructural members, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a horizontaltable configured to support structural members as they are being formedinto a wall panel, the table including a stationary section and atranslation unit that is configured to move an already assembledsubassembly relative to the stationary section; (b) forming asubassembly of structural members on the stationary section; (c) movingthe subassembly relative to the stationary table section to a newposition; and (d) adding additional structural members to thesubassembly in its new position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall panel with a rough opening for adoor.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wall panel with a rough opening for awindow.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wall panel construction systemaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged perspective view of the system of FIG. 3 showinga bottom plank clamping unit in its released position and a clampingunit on the movable carriage of the table in its clamping position.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of the clamping units of FIG. 4Awith the bottom plank clamping unit in its clamping position and theclamping unit on the movable carriage of the table in its releasedposition.

FIG. 5 is a reverse perspective view of the stationary table section andthe top clamping unit of the system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the nailer/gripper of the system ofFIG. 3 without a plank in the gripper.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the nailer/gripper of FIG. 6A with aplank grasped by the gripper.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a nailing unit on the movable carriageof the system of FIG. 3 in a lowered position for nail insertion.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the nailing unit of FIG. 7A in a raisedposition for nail insertion.

FIG. 8 is an internal side view of the system of FIG. 3 showing the studclamping unit in a retracted position and the pusher clamp in anextended position.

FIG. 9A is an internal side view of the system of FIG. 3 with the studclamp extended and clamping a stud against a clamping member.

FIG. 9B is an internal side view of the system of FIG. 3 with the studclamp retracted.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the system of FIG. 3 showing the movablecarriage and its drive mechanism.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the top plank clamping unit of thesystem of FIG. 3 positioned for construction of a wall panel of a firstheight.

FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the top plank clamping unit of FIG.11A positioned for construction of a wall panel of a second height.

FIG. 12A is a top view of the movable carriage of the system of FIG. 3showing the clamping unit thereof positioned for construction of a wallpanel of a first height.

FIG. 12B is a top view of the movable carriage of FIG. 12B showing theclamping unit thereof positioned for construction of a wall panel of asecond height.

FIG. 13A is a side view of the nailer/gripper of the system of FIG. 3showing the grasping of a 2-inch thick board.

FIG. 13B is a side view of the nailer/gripper of FIG. 13A showing thegrasping of a ½-inch thick board.

FIG. 14A is an internal perspective view of a clamping unit of themovable carriage of the system of FIG. 3 in position for construction ofa wall panel of a first depth.

FIG. 14B is an internal perspective view of the clamping unit of FIG.14A in position for construction of a wall panel of a second depth.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the nailer/gripper of the system ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of two “cripples” serving as self-fixturesfor a header board of a wall panel under construction on the system ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are top views of the system of FIG. 3 showing how asubassembly of the top and bottom planks and multiple studs may be movedaway from a rough opening stud in order to provide room for nailing ofthe rough opening stud.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating operational process steps inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 20A-20D are sequential views illustrating the longitudinalmovement of a subassembly with the system of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 21A and 21B are perspective views of the system of FIG. 3illustrating how a board may be rotated into place between two boardsalready in position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described more particularly hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is notintended to be limited to the illustrated embodiments; rather, theseembodiments are intended to fully and completely disclose the inventionto those skilled in this art. In the drawings, like numbers refer tolike elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some componentsmay be exaggerated for clarity.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”,“lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will beunderstood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of the device in use or operation in addition tothe orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device inthe figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath”other elements or features would then be oriented “over” or “above” theother elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” canencompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may beotherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and thespatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

Where used, the terms “attached”, “connected”, “interconnected”,“contacting”, “mounted” and the like can mean either direct or indirectattachment or contact between elements, unless stated otherwise.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a wall panel construction system, designatedbroadly at 100, is shown therein. The system 100 includes as generalcomponents a source of wall panel planks 400 (illustrated herein as arack), an articulating arm unit 300 having a gripper/nailer 200, and atable 110. These are described in greater detail below.

As used herein, the term “longitudinal” and derivatives thereof mean thedirection defined by a horizontal vector extending through thearticulating arm unit 300 and the center of the table 110. The term“transverse” and derivatives thereof mean the horizontal directionperpendicular to the longitudinal direction (i.e., “across” the table110). This direction is also synonymous with the “height” direction of awall panel. The “depth” or “thickness” direction of a wall panel issynonymous with the vertical direction of the table 110.

As used herein, the term “wall panel” is intended to encompass wallpanels employed in the walls of residential and commercial buildingsthat comprise a plurality of structural members (typically straightwooden boards or planks, although some wall panels include straightsteel studs). Wooden boards are typically nailed together, but steelstructural members may be attached with screws, crimping, welding,adhesives or the like. The term “wall panel” is also intended toencompass subassemblies for wall panels, such as rough openings fordoors, windows and the like.

Table

The table 110 has two primary sections: a stationary section 120 and amovable carriage 170 that can be used as an additional build area and topull or push (extrude, both positive and negative) wall sub-assembliesto appropriate length-wise positions for assembly. Each of thestationary section 120 and the movable carriage 170 incorporatesclamping and positioning elements to aid in the accurate positioning andsecuring on the boards. Some of these clamps serve a second purpose ofholding wall sub-assemblies in a fixed position relative to theparticular build section. These two components are described more fullybelow.

Stationary Section

A skeletal frame 112 supports the stationary section 120 from below. Thestationary section 120 has one or more horizontal table surfaces 122(see FIG. 3) mounted on the frame 112 in the work envelope of thearticulating arm unit 300, although in some embodiments additional tablesurfaces may be employed. The table surfaces 122 receive work pieces(i.e., planks) from the articulated arm unit 300, which places thepieces in relative positions suitable for clamping and/or nailing. Inthis system 100, the table surfaces 122 need not be as large as thedesired wall; its characteristic length (the distance from a pointclosest to the articulating arm unit 300 to a point furthest from thearticulating arm unit 300) may be determined by various factors such asexpected rough opening sizes or available space or articulated armreach. The wall height dimension (in plane of the surface andperpendicular to the length direction) may be adjustable at either thetop or bottom or both (top and bottom here referring to wall plate orplank locations) by adding surface extensions or moving sub-sectionsappropriate for the desired wall height (e.g., 8′, 9′ or 12′).

The stationary section 120 may include fixed stops 124 to provide “zero”reference locations for boards and sub-assemblies. These stops 124 maybe positioned at two or more of the table surface edges. These stops 124can also be used to provide an opposing force when clamping asub-assembly in the length or height directions. Alternatively, thelengthwise stops 124 may be incorporated in the “stud clamping”mechanisms described below.

Movable Carriage

Best seen in FIGS. 10 and 17, the movable carriage 170 includescross-members 172 and rails 174 on a frame 175. The movable carriage 170is mounted to the frame 112 on a pair of linear bearings 176 that allowmotion along the length axis but constrain movement in the other axes aswell as prevent rotation about any axis. Other means, such as wheels ontracks, may be used to achieve this constrained motion. In theillustrated embodiment, the motion is actuated by means of a servo-motor180 mounted on the frame 112 and coupled to the movable carriage 170 bya transmission 181 and a pinion gear 182 that acts on a toothed rack183. The allowable range of motion of the movable carriage 170 may varyfrom short distances such as 3′ or less to long distances such as 16′ ormore. Thus, if the range is only 3′ and a 5′ translation is desired, themotion can be accomplished in an “inch-worm fashion” (described below)in two strokes of 2′ and 3′.

Clamping Mechanisms

The table 110 includes a number of different varieties of clampingmechanisms. Top and bottom board clamp units 130 are mounted to theframe 112 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B). Each has a base 132 with a bearingsurface 133 that faces the opposite side of the table 112. Thus, the topand bottom board clamp units 130 are mounted to provide a clamping forceon the top and bottom planks of a wall panel being built in a directionalong the height axis of the wall panel, and in doing so can captureboards (such as studs) positioned between the top and bottom planks. Thetop and bottom board clamp units 130 may be mounted to the stationarysection 120 and/or frame 112 of the table 110 in such a way that theymay be moved along the height axis to allow the construction of talleror shorter wall panels (see FIGS. 11A and 11B for different clampingpositions). Adjustment for wall panel height may be achieved, forexample, by including rails extending transversely from the stationarytable section 120 with holes (shown at 135 in broken line in FIGS. 11Aand 11B). that receive pins on the base 132 of the clamping units 130.The clamps 130 may act as against a rigid stop or it may be paired withan opposing clamp engaged with the opposing top or bottom plank.

The clamp units 130 also include a clamping member 134 that appliesdownward pressure on the upper surface of the top or bottom plank. Theclamping member 134 is actuated between retracted and extended positionsby a pneumatic cylinder 136 that acts through a linkage 138 attached tothe clamping member 134 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). The clamping unit 130 maybe raised or lowered in height relative to the stationary section 120(to address different wall panel depths) through any number of means,including pins, rods or other projections from the base 132 that arereceived in or engage the frame 112.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, multiple stud clamping units 150 mayalso be included. The stud clamping units 150 include both active andpassive clamping members. The active clamping member 162 is pivotallyattached to the frame 112 below the table surface 122 and is can beactuated between extended and retracted positions via a pneumaticcylinder 152 and a retraction linkage 154. The passive clamping member164 is also pivotally attached to the frame 112, but its motion islimited in one direction to an extended vertical disposition (itsdefault orientation, which may be maintained by a spring or gravitycounterbalance) but unlimited rotation in the opposite direction, thusallowing a fastened board to translate past the passive clamping member164 without interference. The clamping position is nominally thethickness of the board to be clamped, thus holding it in an accurateposition but not necessarily squeezing it tight. As a result, the boardis held in its correct position and can be fastened permanently toanother board by one of the several nail guns. Alternatively, the activeclamping member 162 may be mounted on the movable carriage 170 andpositioned by the movable carriage 170 to perform the clamping action atvariable distances.

Like the top and bottom board clamping units 130, the stud clampingunits 150 may be repositioned by a variety of means to locationsappropriate for the desired wall height.

Variation in wall depth may be accommodated by modifying the depthdimension of the clamping member 162 to accommodate a depth of 4″, 6″,or 8″.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 9A, 9B, 12A and 12B, the movable carriage170 includes a set of “puller” clamps 190 (acting in the depthdirection) that are similar in construction to the top and bottom boardclamps 130. The puller clamps 190 are positioned to engage at least thetop and bottom boards of the wall panel. Like the clamping units 130,the puller clamps 190 can be mounted in different transverse positionson the movable carriage 170 to accommodate the construction of wallpanels of different heights (see FIGS. 12A and 12B, which illustraterails 180 on which the puller clamps 190 may be mounted, and posts 182that can receive an opening in the base of the puller clamps 190). Insome embodiments, the puller clamps 190 have the adjustable depthfeature described above for the clamping units 130 (see FIGS. 14A and14B for illustration of lowered and raised mounting positions of thepuller clamps 190). By simultaneously actuating the clamps 190 andcommanding motion of the servo-motor 180 (thereby causing the movablecarriage 170 to move relative to the stationary section 120), the topand bottom planks (along with any boards secured thereto by nails) maybe moved to a new position relative to the articulated arm 300. Thisposition may be farther from or closer to the articulated arm unit 300.When the top and bottom planks are being moved, the clamping units 130on the stationary section 120 of table 110 (acting in the depthdirection) must be released to allow free movement of the boards.

Conversely, when the moveable section 170 must be moved relative to thewall panel, for instance to reset its position to perform the inch-wormtranslation described above, the state of the clamps 130, 190 isreversed, with the stationary section clamps 130 actuated to hold thewall in place and the moveable section clamps 190 released to allowunimpeded motion of the moveable section 170 relative to the wall panel.

Additionally, a set of “pusher” clamping units 192 (see FIGS. 8, 9A and9B) may be disposed along the movable carriage 170 to provide a“pushing” action between the movable carriage 120 and the stationarysection 120 (with opposing force provided by the fixed stops 124 of thestationary section 120). These pusher clamping units 192 are actuatedvia a pneumatic cylinder 194 to pivot between an extended position, inwhich a clamping member 196 extends upwardly above the table surface122, and a clearance position, in which the clamping member 196 isretracted below the table surface 122.

Nailers

Nailers 600 (in this instance, nail guns) may be mounted to both thestationary section 120 and the movable carriage 170. A common use ofthese nailers 600 would be to fasten the top and bottom boards to studsand other boards such as headers and cripples. Thus, the nailers 600 onthe stationary section 120 may be disposed at common on-centerpositions, such as 16″ and 24″, or in other positions as may be desired,or they may be mounted on a second motion base axis to be positioned onnon-integral centers. Nailers 600 mounted to the movable carriage 170may be positioned to non-integral on-center positions by translating themovable carriage 170 to an appropriate position using the servo-motor180.

To insert nails at multiple wall depth positions, the nailers 600 may bemounted on a mechanism that moves the nailer 600 on an axis parallel tothe wall depth direction. This motion is achieved in the illustratedembodiment via a pneumatic actuator 604, but a servo-motor or othermeans may also be used (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

Alternatively, nailing at additional depth positions may be accomplishedwith companion nailers: multiple (2, 3, or 4) companion nail guns may bemounted with a fixed vertical axis (wall depth), each a different heightand the base axis may be moved to allow several nails to be shot intoeach stud/trimmer/cripple to plate connection position. This arrangementmay have the advantage of speeding up the process and dividing theworkload over more nailers.

As another alternative, nailers may be mounted on additional roboticmanipulators to provide desired positioning for nailing.

To accommodate various wall panel heights, the plate nailers, pusherclamp, and puller clamp mechanisms may be repositioned by a variety ofmeans to locations appropriate for the desired wall height. In thisexample the plate nailers, pusher clamp, and puller clamp for the topplate are mounted on a common support structure which is manuallyrelocated during system setup along the height axis to the desired wallheight such as 8′ or 9′ or 12′. One skilled in the art will recognizethat this relocation could be implemented in a variety of ways includingseparate support structures and automation with actuators in the heightdirection.

Articulating Arm Unit

The articulating arm unit 300 is mounted on a base that is fixedrelative to the frame 112. The articulating arm unit 300 is a largelyconventional 6-axis robotic arm; an exemplary articulating arm unit 300is described in detail in U.S Patent Publication No. 2010/0057242, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Sucha unit may be modified, particularly at the wrist member, to accommodatethe gripper/nailer 200 described below. Other 6-axis articulating armunits may also be employed. Furthermore, the present invention is notlimited to robots with fewer or more axes of motion, or to a singlerobot; multiple robotic arms for the movement of different tools may beemployed.

Gripper/Nailer

Turning now to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the gripper/nailer 200 is mounted ontothe “wrist member” of the articulating arm unit 300. The gripper/nailer200 has a gripper unit 201 that includes a frame 202 that includes twostationary fingers 203 a, 203 b and a movable finger 204 positionedbetween the stationary fingers 203 a, 203 b. The movable finger 204 isconfigured to move toward either of the stationary fingers 203 a, 203 bto clamp a board; in some embodiments, the movable finger 204 and thestationary fingers 203 a, 203 b are positioned so that the movablefinger 204 and the stationary finger 203 a can grasp a board of onethickness (e.g., 2 inches) and the stationary finger 204 and the movablefinger 203 b can grasp a board of a different thickness (e.g., 1 inch).The movable finger 204 is moved via a mechanism that relies on apneumatic cylinder for actuation

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the gripper unit may takeother configurations. For example, rather than pneumatic actuation, thegripping movement may be controlled mechanically, hydraulically, orelectromagnetically. The shapes of the gripping fingers may vary, as maythe shapes of the links causing the fingers to grip. In someembodiments, two or all three gripper fingers may move in the graspingmotion. Other configurations will be apparent to those of skill in theart and need not be detailed herein.

Referring still to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a nailing unit 242 is also mountedonto the “wrist” member of the articulating arm. The nailing unit 242includes a barrel 246, a magazine 232 attached to the barrel 246 andconfigured to supply nails sequentially to the barrel 246, and a handle245 in which a trigger is incorporated. The trigger can be actuated byan electric solenoid, a pneumatic cylinder, or the like. The nailingunit 242 is mounted such that the barrel 246 extends in a direction thatis generally away from the stationary grip fingers 203 a, 203 b, 204.This orientation can provide both the gripping unit 201 and the nailingunit 242 with sufficient space to operate without interference from theother unit.

An exemplary nailing unit is the DEWALT D51844 nailing gun, availablefrom Black & Decker Corporation, Towson, Md. Other nailing units mayalso be employed. For example, the trigger may be actuated by othermechanisms, such as a mechanical piston or the like. Alternatively, thenailing unit may lack an external trigger, which can be replaced by adirecting acting valve signaled by the controller 500. The nailing unit242 may also be oriented differently relative to the gripper unit 201.The nailing unit 242 may even insert a different fastener, such as astaple; it is intended that the terms “nailing unit” and “nailer”encompass devices that insert other fasteners that penetrate boards inaddition to nails.

In addition, those skilled in this art will recognize that other toolswith additional functions may be included in the gripper/nailer 200. Forexample, many wall panels include holes for the passage of electrical,telephone, television, or computer wires or cables, or for water pipes,or HVAC conduits. The inclusion of a drill or a router on thegripper/nailer 200 would enable such holes to be formed automatically bythe gripper/nailer 200 during the fabrication of the wall panel. Othertools (e.g., a sander, a staple gun, etc.) may also be attached to thegripper/nailer in some embodiments for the performance of otherfunctions/tasks.

In addition, the mounting configuration may be modified to allow limitedrelative motion between the nailer and the gripper and/or the wrist.This motion may be supplemented with dampers and springs to absorb shockforces of the nailing action and thus improve the nailing function.

Additional aspects and features of a nailer/gripper are discussed inU.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0057242, supra.

Board Rack

Referring to FIG. 3, the rack 400 is positioned adjacent thearticulating arm unit 100 and the table 110. The rack 400 includesmultiple shelves, trays, compartments or the like in which wooden boardsof like size can be stored. The rack 400 is configured so that thegripper/nailer 200 can access any of the compartments in order to graspboards contained therein. The rack 400 may take any number ofconfigurations that enable the presentation of boards of a known sizeand in a known location to the gripper for placement on the table 110;in the illustrated embodiment, the boards are oriented generallyhorizontally, but in other embodiments vertical or other orientationsmay also be used. In some embodiments, the compartments may beadjustable in size to accommodate boards of different sizes/lengths.Also, in some embodiments, the rack 400 may be mounted to the frame 112in order to maintain a predictable position relative to the articulatingarm unit 300 and the table 110.

In some embodiments, the rack 400 may be associated with, or evenreplaced by, an automated “cut-to-length” saw that prepares boards orboards on demand. Such a saw may be connected to the controller 500,which directs the saw to cut a board to a specific length and presentthe freshly-cut board to the articulating arm unit 100 for retrieval andpositioning on the work table 300. The use of a cut-to-length saw mayreduce manpower requirements and eliminate the need for the rack 400.

In further embodiments, the rack 400, the table 110 and the articulatingarm unit 300 may be mounted on a mobile vehicle, such as a truck, thatcan travel to a work site and construct walls on-site. Such anarrangement is illustrated and discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No.2010/0057242, supra.

Software

As illustrated in FIG. 19 and described in detail below under theHeading “Process”, the software employed by the controller to operatethe system is divided in two main parts. The first is a datapreprocessor which receives a minimal data file (a simple list ofCartesian coordinate pairs, each pair representing a board) and analyzesit to determine more detailed board information. Nominal and refinedbuild sequences (essentially a board pick and place order) as well asnail requirements can also be generated in this part. The second partinvolves guidance of the automation elements including the articulatedarm 300, the various clamps, the nailers, and the movable table section170. These main parts are described more completely below.

Software Part 1

Possible data file formats that sufficiently describe a board and itsposition could be either: 1) two diagonally opposite corners, or 2) onereference point such as a center and board dimensions. Some of thedetails provided by the pre-processor can be board type and use (e.g.,2×4, 2×8, stud, header), and rough opening association as well asothers. Part supply set-up can also be accomplished in this part since aconstant supply of ready board is needed for efficient operation of thesystem. This part set-up may involve allocating storage locations on therack 400 with a known pattern, or it may involve determining a cutsequence for an automated saw including raw material input, finishedboard presentation and scrap disposition.

Software Part 2

With basic panel requirements established in Part 1, actual execution ofthe build task must be accomplished. Since robots are typicallyprogrammed to accomplish a fixed process cycle over and over, a specialsoftware architecture is required to accomplish the infinitely variableprocess cycles required for wall panels. In this implementation twosub-divisions of code for Part 2 are used. The subdivision may beimplemented, for instance, as a first section of code written andexecuted in the Fanuc Robotics “KAREL” language and a second sectionwritten and executed in the Fanuc Robotics “Teach Pendant” language,although other languages may be used.

The first subdivision is a generalized loop that executes pick, placeand nail actions based on the board sequence determined in Part 1. Stepsin this subdivision include determining nail requirements based on boarduse and location, determining the rack pick location, picking the board,determining positioning requirements for the moveable table section,adjusting nominal motion path taking into account board size,orientation, and collision avoidance for placed boards and fixtures.

The articulated arm may be controlled by subroutines for general motionpaths which may run as separate processes. These general motion pathscan include both static motion waypoints as well as programmable motionwaypoints and target points which may be changed by updating “offsetpositions.” (An exemplary target point would be the desired location ofthe board on the build table.) Offset positions can be loaded to themotion path routines in a routine based on the requirements establishedin the motion planning steps above. (Offset positions may take the formof 6 degree-of-freedom positions relative to a fixed frame of referenceor relative to another position established in one of several frames ofreference such as the main table reference frame or a nail gun referenceframe.)

Before and after boards are placed, moveable table section and clampsmay be actuated according to the particular requirements of that cycle.

Next, a nailing sequence may be executed. Some nails may be shot usingthe end-of-arm nail gun. As with the pick and place routines, this maybe accomplished using general routines with waypoints and target pointsestablished using offsets. Other nails may be shot by any of the tablemounted nailers. This step may also include actuating clamps and thepusher mounted on the moveable table section to closely align the boardsto be joined before shooting the nail. It is also possible that no nailswould be shot during a particular cycle or that only one or the other ofthe arm-mounted or table-mounted nailers would be used.

This process is repeated until all boards required by the wall panelhave been placed and secured with fasteners. One skilled in the art willrecognize that other divisions of steps and code as well as sequence ofsteps could be used, such as combining the generic motion instructionroutines into the build sequence routines.

Other Software Considerations

Data processing systems, methods, and computer program products inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention may be incorporatedin a programmable logic controller and/or digital signal processor incommunication with a Human Machine Interface (HMI). The processorcommunicates with the memory via an address/data bus. The processor canbe any commercially available or custom microprocessor. The memory isrepresentative of the overall hierarchy of memory devices containing thesoftware and data used to implement the functionality of the dataprocessing system. The memory can include, but is not limited to, thefollowing types of devices: cache, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flashmemory, SRAM, and DRAM.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the operatingsystem may be any operating system suitable for use with a dataprocessing system, such as OS/2, AIX, DOS, OS/390 or System390 fromInternational Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., Windows CE,Windows NT, Windows98, Windows2000, Windows XP or Windows 7 fromMicrosoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash., Unix or Linux or FreeBSD, Palm OSfrom Palm, Inc., Mac OS from Apple Computer, LabView, or proprietaryoperating systems. Particularly suitable is the operating environment“Handing Tool”, available from Fanuc Corporation, which can processcommands in the KAREL and TEACH PENDANT languages. I/O device driverstypically include software routines accessed through the operatingsystem by application programs to communicate with devices such as I/Odata port(s), the articulating arm unit, data storage and certain memorycomponents. Application programs can implement the various features ofthe data processing system and can include at least one application,which supports operations according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Finally, as used herein “data” represents the static anddynamic data used by the application programs, the operating system, theI/O device drivers, and other software programs that may reside in thememory.

While the present invention is illustrated, for example, with referenceto particular divisions of programs, functions and memories, the presentinvention should not be construed as limited to such logical divisions.Thus, the present invention is intended to encompass any configurationcapable of carrying out the operations described herein. As used herein,the term “programmatically” refers to operations directed and/orprimarily carried out electronically by computer program modules, codeand instructions.

Operations

As an overview, in constructing a wall panel, the system 100 seriallyselects boards from the rack 400 with the articulating arm unit 300,carries them to a position on the table 112 (either the stationarysection 120 or the movable carriage 170), orients the boards, andreleases them. At predetermined times, either the nailer 200 of thearticulating arm unit 300 or one or more of the nailers 600 fires nailsinto two or more boards to form joints. The activity of the system iscontrolled by the controller 500.

More specifically, the controller 500 signals the articulating arm unit300 to move the gripper unit 201 to the vicinity of an appropriatelysized board. The controller 500 signals the movable finger 204 to graspthe board against the appropriate stationary finger 203 a, 203 b, thensignals the articulating arm unit 300 to move the grasped board to thedesired position on the table 112 in the desired orientation. Thecontroller 500 then signals the movable finger 204 to move to releasethe board in the proper position. The controller 500 then signals thearticulating arm unit 300 to withdraw and move to its next task.

When nailing of boards within the wall panel (i.e. interior to the topand bottom planks) is called for, the controller 500 moves thearticulating arm unit 300 to position the nailing unit 240 at a desiredlocation and orientation, then signals the nailing unit 240 to insert anail.

In addition to the general pick and place and nailing tasks describedabove, there are a number of different specific tasks that thecontroller may call for during the construction of a wall panel. Some ofthese tasks are discussed in detail below.

Placement of a Board Perpendicular to Two Boards

In some instances, the board to be placed is to span perpendicularly twoparallel boards that are already clamped or otherwise secured inposition. In such an instance, instead of immediately placing the boardperpendicular to the two original boards, the articulating arm unit 300positions the board 900 at an oblique angle to the original boards 902,904 (see FIG. 21A). Once the board 900 has been so placed, it can berotated into a perpendicular orientation (much in the manner that aboard might be inserted manually under similar circumstances—see FIG.21B). This technique can facilitate the placement of boards in tightspaces, particularly given the inconsistency of dimensions,straightness, quality, etc., that can appear in wooden boards.

Longitudinal Movement of Partially Assembled Wall Panel

The articulating arm unit 300 has sufficient length to reach the top andbottom planks of a wall panel and some areas of the wall panel, but inmany instances the overall length of the wall panel to be constructedexceeds the reach of the articulating arm unit 300. In such an instance,the system can “inchworm” a partially assembled wall panel away from thearticulating arm unit 300 to enable additional areas of the wall panelto be assembled. As the initial portion of the wall panel is assembled,the top and bottom planks are secured in place by the top and bottomplank clamping units 130 (see FIG. 20A). When the partial assembly is tobe moved, the controller 500 signals the puller clamps 190 on themovable table section 170 to clamp onto the top and bottom planks. Thecontroller signals the clamps 130 on the stationary section 120 torelease (see FIG. 20B). The movable table section 170 (driven by therack-and-pinion mechanism via the servomotor 180) then moves away fromthe articulating arm unit 300, drawing the partially assembled wallpanel with it (see FIG. 20C). If (as is typically the case), the wallpanel needs to be moved further, the clamps 130 on the stationary tablesection 120 clamp the top and bottom planks, the puller clamps 190release (see FIG. 20D), and the movable table section 170 moves backtoward the articulating arm unit 300. Once the movable carriage 170 hascompleted its movement, as before the puller clamps 190 clamp the topand bottom planks, the clamps 130 release, and the movable table section170 moves away from the articulating arm unit 300 again. This process isrepeated until the partial wall assembly is in the desired position forfurther assembly. The process can enable the construction of wall panelsof almost any reasonable length.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that longitudinal movement ofthe subassembly away from the stationary table section may beaccomplished in other ways. For example, the system may employ “pinch”rollers that engage one or more of the boards and move a subassemblyrelative to the stationary table section. Such rollers may also serve toclamp the boards in place during nailing. Other alternatives may also besuitable.

Nailing Studs to Top and Bottom Planks

A large percentage of studs are nailed directly to the top and bottomplanks. In many cases, it is preferable for the nailers 600 attached tothe movable table section 170 to perform the nailing of the studs to thetop and bottom planks, primarily because cycle time is often a paramountconcern in the construction of a wall panel, and movement of thearticulating arm unit 300 tends to be slower and to consume more timethan the movement of the movable table section 170. Therefore, thecontroller 500 will often direct the system 100 to move the movabletable section 170 so that the nailers 600 mounted thereto are positionedto insert nails through the top and bottom planks into the appropriatestuds.

“Self-Fixturing” of Boards

The system 100 has the capacity to enable boards themselves to serve as“fixtures” for other boards, even if the “fixturing” board has not yetbeen fastened to another board with a nail. As an example, a roughopening may include “cripples” 701 above a header sub-assembly (see FIG.16). Rather than including a movable stop to provide a rigid locatingreference for the header board 703, two or more top “cripples” 701 maybe positioned prior to the positioning of the header board 703. Thepresence of the cripples 701 provides a natural rigid locating referencefor the header board 703, after which the header board 703 can be nailedto the cripples 701. As a further example, “trimmer” boards positionedafter the header boards can be employed to push the header board into amore accurate position.

Those skilled in this art will recognize that other arrangements may besuitable for self-fixturing, including placing a sill between trimmersduring the longitudinal movement of a subassembly.

Longitudinal Clamping

In some instances, it may be desirable to provide clamping in thelongitudinal direction of the table 112. This can be achieved by movingthe movable table section 170 toward the articulating arm unit 300 whenthe stud clamps 150 are actuated to an extended position. At the sametime, either of the stops 124 or the clamping members 164 (which arebiased to extend upwardly) can provide resistance to movement by a studtoward the articulating arm unit 300. Thus, pressure on one or moreboards that extend transversely on the table 112 can be applied by thestud clamps 150 (pressing toward the articulating arm unit 300) and thestops 124 or clamping members 164 (resisting the pressure applied by theclamps 150). The clamped position is shown in FIG. 9A. These actions cansecure the stud for nailing, fixturing, or some other operation. Oneskilled in this art will recognize that the clamping may be achieved byother means, such as pneumatic actuation with a long stroke.

Joining of Closely Adjacent Studs

In some instances, the design of a rough opening, such as a window, willdictate that two studs be positioned very closely together. For example,a “king stud” 800 may be attached to a header when another stud 802 iswithin 10 inches or so of the king stud 800. In such instances, it maybe difficult, if not impossible, to position the gripper/nailer 200properly to nail one or both of the studs in position because ofinterference by the other stud. This issue can be addressed by moving anentire subassembly in the manner described above, including the top andbottom planks, away from the articulating arm unit 300 a sufficientdistance that the gripper/nailer 200 can access the king stud 800 andinsert nails into it (see FIG. 18A), then moving the previously-movedsubassembly back to its original position and nailing it to the justcompleted subassembly (see FIG. 18B). This capability may beparticularly useful when “self-fixturing” is employed.

Process Flow

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary process algorithm for the controller500 to follow in directing the construction of a wall panel. Thecontroller receives a data file of a wall panel (block 902), typicallyfrom a CAD drawing or the like. The controller then determines the topleft and bottom right positions of each board (block 904), thencalculates the board size, length, orientation and/or use and the board'front, right and center position data (block 906). The board source isidentified (i.e., rack or saw) (block 908), and the board data is sortedto create a nominal build sequence (block 910).

Boards are grouped according to their association with a rough opening,as these may be treated differently (block 912). After this grouping,the board sequence may be re-ordered to capitalize on certain nailingopportunities, such as self-fixturing, nails that on different boardsthat are near each other, and the like (block 914).

Assembly begins with the selection of a board (block 916). The nailingrequirements of the board are determined based on its use and location(block 918). The board is then retrieved from the source (block 920).The controller 500 then determines whether any movement of the movablecarriage 170 is required (e.g., whether the top and bottom planks shouldbe moved, or if the pusher clamps 192 may be called for) (block 922).The nominal motion path for the board is then adjusted if necessary,taking into account parameters such as the size and orientation of theboard and potential interference with other boards or fixtures (block924). Any movement of the movable carriage 170 then occurs, as does anyneeded clamping, and the board is positioned (block 926). If any nailingis to be performed prior to the selection of the next board, it occursnext (block 928). This step may also include movement of the movablecarriage 170 (particularly if the pusher clamps 192 are used), andsetting of clamps. The controller then determines if the wall panel iscomplete (block 930), and if it is not, the process loops back to block916 for the addition of more boards.

The flowcharts and block diagrams of certain of the figures hereinillustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possibleimplementations of safety and/or diagnostic systems according to thepresent invention. In this regard, each block in the flow charts orblock diagrams represents a module, segment, or portion of code, whichcomprises one or more executable instructions for implementing thespecified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in somealternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occurout of the order noted in the figures, or some functions may be omitted.For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executedsubstantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed inthe reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of thisinvention have been described, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as recited inthe claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, withequivalents of the claims to be included therein.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A system for constructing wall panelscomprising a plurality of structural members, the system comprising: asource of structural members of predetermined size; a horizontal tableconfigured to support planks as they are being formed into a wall panel,the table including a stationary section and a movable carriage that isconfigured to move in a longitudinal direction toward and away from thestationary section; an articulated arm unit having a gripper, thearticulating arm unit positioned to retrieve boards from the source withthe gripper and place them on the table; at least one first clampingunit mounted to the stationary section for clamping structural membersthereto; at least one second clamping unit mounted to the movablecarriage for clamping structural members thereto; and a controller thatcontrols the movement of the articulating arm unit and the movablecarriage.
 2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first clampingunit is positioned to clamp one of the top and bottom structural membersof the wall panel, and the second clamping unit is positioned to clampone of the top and bottom structural members of the wall panel.
 3. Thesystem defined in claim 1, wherein the structural members are woodenboards, and wherein the movable carriage includes at least one nailingunit.
 4. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the nailing unit isdepth-adjustable.
 5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the firstand second clamping units are depth-adjustable.
 6. The system defined inclaim 1, wherein the movable carriage includes at least one thirdclamping unit configured to clamp a transversely-extending board.
 7. Thesystem defined in claim 1, wherein the movable carriage includes apushing mechanism configured to push a structural member longitudinallyas the movable carriage moves relative to the articulating arm unit. 8.The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second clampingunits are mounted on the table such that their positions aretransversely adjustable to accommodate the construction of wall panelsof different heights.
 9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein thearticulating arm unit further includes a nailer.
 10. A method ofconstructing a wall panel comprising a plurality of structural members,comprising the steps of: (a) providing a horizontal table configured tosupport structural members as they are being formed into a wall panel,the table including a stationary section and a movable carriage that isconfigured to move in a longitudinal direction relative to thestationary section; wherein at least one first clamping unit is mountedto the stationary section for clamping structural members thereto; andat least one second clamping unit mounted to the movable carriage forclamping structural members thereto; (b) forming a subassembly ofstructural members, wherein at least one structural member is clampedwith the first clamping units; (c) clamping the structural member withthe second clamping unit; (d) releasing the first clamping units; and(e) moving the movable carriage relative to the stationary table sectionto move the subassembly relative to the stationary table section. 11.The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the steps of: (f)clamping the board with the first clamping unit; and (g) releasing theboard with the second clamping unit.
 12. The method defined in claim 11,comprising repeating steps (c)-(g) to further move the subassemblyrelative to the stationary table section.
 13. The method defined inclaim 10, wherein the structural members are wooden boards, and furthercomprising the step of nailing two boards together between steps (e) and(f).
 14. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising the step ofproviding an articulated arm unit with a nailer; and wherein the nailingstep comprises nailing the boards together with the nailer.
 15. A methodof placing a structural member during the construction of a wall panelcomprising a plurality of structural members, comprising the steps of:providing parallel first and second structural members extending in alongitudinal direction; placing, with an automated system, a thirdstructural member between the first and second structural members, thethird structural member being oriented at an oblique angle relative tothe first and second structural members; and rotating, with theautomated system, the third structural member to a position that issubstantially perpendicular to the first and second structural members.16. The method defined in claim 15, wherein the providing step comprisesfixing the first and second structural members in position.
 17. Themethod defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second structuralmembers are the top and bottom structural members of the wall panel. 18.The method defined in claim 16, wherein the structural members arewooden boards.
 19. A method of constructing a wall panel comprising aplurality of structural members, the method comprising the steps of:with an automated system, positioning a first structural member on abuild surface; with the automated system, positioning a secondstructural member on the build surface, the second structural memberbeing in contact with the first structural member but not secured to thefirst structural member; and with the automated system, positioning athird structural member on the build surface, the third structuralmember being in contact with the second structural member, thereby usingthe second structural member as a positioning fixture.
 20. The methoddefined in claim 19, wherein the third structural member is positionedperpendicular to the second structural member.
 21. The method defined inclaim 19, wherein the second board is positioned perpendicular to thefirst structural members.
 22. The method defined in claim 19, whereinthe structural members are wooden boards, and further comprising thesteps of nailing the second board to the first board and nailing thethird board to the second board.
 23. The method defined in claim 19,wherein the wall panel includes a rough opening.
 24. A method ofdetermining the construction sequence of a wall panel comprising aplurality of structural members, comprising the steps of: (a)programmatically determining the dimensions of each structural memberbased on a data file; (b) programmatically determining structural memberparameters; and (c) programmatically creating a nominal build sequencefrom the structural member parameters.
 25. The method defined in claim24, comprising the further steps of: (d) programmatically groupingstructural members according to any association with a rough opening;and (e) programmatically re-ordering the build sequence based on step(d).
 26. The method defined in claim 25, wherein the structural membersare wooden boards, and wherein step (e) comprises programmaticallyassessing nailing sequences resulting from the association of a boardwith a rough opening.
 27. The method defined in claim 24, wherein step(a) comprises determining the bottom right and top left positions ofeach structural member.
 28. The method defined in claim 25, wherein step(b) comprises calculating at least some of: board size, board length,board orientation, board use, and board front, right and centerpositions.
 29. The method defined in claim 24, wherein step (b)comprises programmatically determining structural member parametersbased on the structural member dimensions.
 30. A method ofprogrammatically and via automation constructing a wall panel comprisinga plurality of structural members, comprising the steps of: (a)selecting a structural member for inclusion in the wall panel; (b)determining nailing requirements based on the structural member's useand location; (c) retrieving the structural member from a structuralmember source; (d) determining whether to move an already assembledsubassembly relative to a build table based on the structural member'ssize, orientation, and/or potential interference with another structuralmember or fixture; (e) moving the subassembly relative to the table ifstep (d) so determines; (f) positioning the structural member on thebuild table; (g) determining whether to attach the structural member toanother structural member based on its position and/or use; (h)attaching the structural members if step (g) so determines; and (i)repeating steps (a)-(h) for additional structural members.
 31. Themethod defined in claim 30, further comprising the steps of clamping thestructural member after step (f).
 32. The method defined in claim 30,further comprising clamping a structural member already in position onthe build table prior to step (e).
 33. A method of constructing a wallpanel comprising a plurality of structural members, comprising the stepsof: (a) providing a horizontal table configured to support structuralmembers as they are being formed into a wall panel, the table includinga stationary section and a translation unit that is configured to movean already assembled subassembly in a longitudinal direction relative tothe stationary section; (b) forming a subassembly of structural memberson the stationary section; (c) moving the subassembly relative to thestationary section to move the subassembly to a new position; and (d)adding additional structural members to the subassembly in its newposition.